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The USGA unveiled a 24-player roster for the 2026 U.S. National Junior Team, featuring the nation’s top junior boys and girls.
The United States Golf Association (USGA) announced the roster for the 2026 U.S. National Junior Team (USNJT) on Tuesday, continuing the growth of its U.S. National Development Program (USNDP) with the program’s largest class to date.
The 2026 team features 24 athletes — 12 boys and 12 girls — from 10 states, building on last year’s 22-player roster. Fourteen of the 24 players return from the 2025 National Junior Team, while 10 newcomers join the group, including five athletes who advanced through the USNDP State Junior Team system. Among them are Eliana Saga, Mia Clausen and Jaden Soong from Team Southern California.
“We are very excited about this group going into year three of our U.S. National Junior Team,” said Chris Zambri, head coach of the USNDP. “We’ve seen tremendous growth over the first two years in our athletes and are excited to build on that momentum. We could not have had the successes we’ve had as a program without our continued support of our partners and generous donors.”
Members of the U.S. National Junior Team receive year-round support, including world-class coaching and analysis, sports psychology and nutritional guidance.
In 2025, team members made 34 collective appearances in USGA championships, led by the U.S. Junior Amateur (9), U.S. Amateur (8) and U.S. Girls’ Junior (7). The average World Amateur Golf Ranking® of team members rose 132 spots, with a collective gain of 2,933.
Four members of the 2026 roster are USNDP Grant recipients. Applications for 2026 grants closed in the fall, and the new class of recipients will be announced in early 2026. In 2025, the USGA distributed more than $865,000 to 109 junior golfers and their families to assist with costs related to reaching the next stages of the competitive game, including tournament travel, coaching and equipment.
Asterisk Talley, the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball champion, will be a member of the U.S. National Junior Team for a third consecutive year. In 2025, she competed in the U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally, earned co-medalist honors at the U.S. Women’s Amateur, won the Girl’s Junior PGA Championship and finished runner-up at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Talley is currently the top-ranked junior in the WAGR at No. 11.
Talley was the runner-up in the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur and U.S. Girls’ Junior, and represented the USA in that year’s Curtis Cup Match, defeating world No. 1 Lottie Woad, of England, in Sunday singles.
Hamilton Coleman and Mason Howell, both signed to play golf at the University of Georgia, are making their first U.S. National Junior Team appearances after being on the USNDP’s Georgia State Team in 2025.
Coleman won the 2025 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at Trinity Forest in July and needed 25 holes to survive his Round-of-64 match, the longest U.S. Junior Amateur match in 23 years. The Martinez, Ga., native represented the United States at the Junior Ryder Cup and is a three-time AJGA Rolex Junior All-American.
Howell won the 2025 U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club in August at just 18 years of age, becoming the third-youngest winner in championship history. The victory earned him a spot on the USA Walker Cup Team, where he went 2-0-1 for the victorious Americans at Cypress Point Club. He holed out for an eagle-2 to close out his Sunday foursomes match with partner Jacob Modleski. Howell also was the medalist in the U.S. Junior Amateur at Trinity Forest.
The mission of the U.S. National Development Program is to foster future generations of American golf talent. The USNDP provides a pathway to success in golf by delivering competitive opportunities, support, and training that develops American golf talent and mitigates financial burdens. With key strategic partners, host venues, and championships, the program provides education, experiences, and mentorship designed to help athletes achieve success at each level.
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